A year ago February it snowed for two weeks straight which means I got two weeks of snowed-in-sewing time. It was then that I decided to tackle sewing my first pair of jeans. I made two pairs that month in regular dark denim, then made two additional pairs over the summer and fall.

This pattern is undoubtedly one of the rock stars of the handmade world. Not only is it super flattering, but Heather truly demystifies the denim sewing process into extremely manageable steps.

For my third pair, I used a white stretch denim from Denver Fabrics. I also wanted a summer aesthetic so I used a seafoam topstitching thread from Wawak.

There’s nothing more terrifying than topstitching with contrast thread. For the most part, I think I did a good job. I moved the back pockets up a bit to accommodate my personal shape.

I used a scrap of blue striped shirting for the pocket lining which adds a nice summer vibe.

My one beef with these is that the fabric has less stretch than advertised. Frankly, these are a bit uncomfortable without doing some squats first. When they do stretch a bit, though, they maintain a decent shape.

According to Heather’s size chart, I’m a straight 16. Due to the Lycra content and finished measurements, I made a straight size 12 and removed some length. I wanted these to hit slightly above my ankles.

Sometime around October I got a wild hair to make a ridiculously bright pair of Ginger jeans. I purchased this wale-less corduroy from Denver Fabrics and figured it would make a great fall pant.

I used pink topstitching thread because I love pink and green together. The pink also makes these “springtime” appropriate as well.

A scrap of Amy Butler voile for the pockets gave these some “lady in the street, freak in the bed” appeal. And I’m super-pleased that the pink in the pocket lining matches my topstitching thread. Total accident.

I made a size 12 in these as well but I had the opposite issue with the stretch – the Lycra content in this corduroy was actually underrepresented. These tend to stretch out after one wearing, which is annoying.

Still, these are really cute, comfortable, and look nice dressed for warm or cold weather. My next pair will be bright pink, and I’m planning another regular denim as well.

Overall, this is a brilliant pattern. It truly makes the process of sewing jeans enjoyable, not to mention these are the most comfortable and flattering jeans I’ve ever owned.

Last November I was approached by a friend to help her make the Cascade Coat by Grainline Studio. For some reason I had the bright idea to open it up as a coat making course and soon after had three students ready to make their very own coat.

I had never made the coat before, but I figured my experience would make up for it and surely I could teach three other novice garment sewers how to make it as well. Our first class was spent highlighting and marking all of our pattern pieces – 40 to be exact. In the midst of thinking I was in over my head, one of my students commented that she was having so much fun marking her pattern pieces. Fears eased, we spent the next three weeks creating our coats.

I chose a beautiful royal blue wool/poly blend from Fabric.com, a pink floral from JoAnn for my pocket linings, and a plain black rayon bemberg for my coat lining. All of my students required full bust adjustments and bicep fullness adjustments on this pattern, even the one who fit squarely in the size 4.

Considering this pattern has an exorbitant number of pieces, I think it’s worth making it. I chose to omit the toggles and simply have the zipper band which I think gives it a nice modern feel. The instructions are fairly intuitive, and coupled with the sewalong, this is a pretty quick make.

My one point of frustration came when I was attaching the sleeve linings. I’ve read about this attachment method and performed it several times, but for some reason my brain was not functioning and I became very frustrated. As I told all of my students, sometimes you just have to walk away and come back to a project the next day.

I think the final product was worth it though, as I really like the jacket. I’ll probably add a stay at the hemline next time since the lining doesn’t quite pull it up far enough. Overall, though, I’m pretty pleased. This is a nice transitional jacket.

Tuesday morning I set out for Tazewell, TN for a day of client meetings (I moonlight as an employment consultant for adults with disabilities). I met with five clients by 3:00 and helped one apply to seven jobs. In terms of productivity, I was on fire.

I had already planned to stay at my dad’s Tuesday night since he lives nearby. I knew I could get in a visit and then have Wednesday and Thursday to get back to work.

I’ve forgotten a few things since childhood: how much I love Icees, that heights aren’t scary, and that my dad lives in a higher elevation. When it snows 2″ in Knoxville, there will be 6″ at his house. Living in the mountains also guarantees something else: horrible cell phone reception. I found one spot in my room, near the window, where I had 3G connection and could barely text my manfriend to let him know I wasn’t stuck in a tundra somewhere. No Facebook, Instagram, email, website, nothing. I had no choice but to put down my phone and disconnect for two days.

I’m a doer. I create plans, write action steps and then execute. Even when I’m home at night, trying to get ready for bed, I’m constantly thinking or scheming or planning or analyzing. I have to remind myself to eat lunch without working simultaneously. If I’m not careful, I’ll work constantly, especially now that I’m self-employed.

What I’m learning this month, though, is that while this incessant “going” is certainly working for me and helping me pay the bills, sometimes it’s perfectly okay and healthy to stop. It’s okay to unplug from social media. It’s okay to let emails sit. It’s okay to simply enjoy the unexpected time you are gifted with the ones you love.

When I was younger my dad’s house was my retreat center. I would plan extended visits when I needed a break from college, work, life – whenever I needed to recharge. I didn’t plan this retreat, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. My parents and I talked, sang, ate meals together, shoveled snow and laughed. All three of us agreed it was a “meant to be” event.

I’m grateful for my ambition, my drive and my ability to make things happen. But I’m even more grateful that I’m able to appreciate moments of time that are unexpected, and anything but traditionally productive. Maybe there’s as much magic in the not-doing as there is in the doing. Maybe we need both to keep us balanced and healthy.

Now that I’m back home, I feel re-energized and recharged, and a bit nostalgic. There will be other times for spontaneous respite. For now, I’m beyond grateful that this one presented itself and I’m hopeful that I can continue to enjoy them when they unexpectedly arise.